Cheap (but Excellent) Mouse Pad

Introduction: Cheap (but Excellent) Mouse Pad

I am too cheap to spend $25 on a quality mouse pad, so I decided to make my own. Everything should be under $5. I'm using it with a Logitech G5 laser mouse, and have tested it with a Razer Copperhead laser mouse and a cheap Microsoft ball mouse. Works great with all of them, glides well and tracks perfectly.

Step 1: Gather Materials.

-Transparencies (number depends on how many mouse pads you want to make). Make sure you do not get printer transparencies, they tend to have some kind of glue on them that allows the ink to stick better. This will ruin the feet of your mouse.
-Very fine grit sandpaper
-A flat surface

Step 2: Sand.

Before you start this step try using your mouse on the plain transparency. Mine felt sticky and did not glide at all, but your transparencies may be different. If you do not like the feel, cut or tear the sandpaper into a small square. Lightly sand one side of the transparency in one direction. It does not matter which direction, I sanded parallel to the sides. After you have completely sanded one side, sand perpendicular to the direction you just sanded. In the interest of contrast, my pictures show me sanding off the newspaper which is a bad idea since it is a wood table. In reality, make sure what you are sanding underneath is meant to be sanded.

Step 4: Wash.

Step 5: Enjoy.

I play a lot of Counter-Strike (1.6 and Source, I go by "low"). I also spray painted one of the pads I made just for decoration. If you decide to do this, you will also need to sand the side of the transparency that you want to paint.

This is a very good tip. But I have a better one and I just don't feel like dong a whole instructable so I'll hijack this one lol. I looked at a pretty pricey laser mouse pad and touched it and it feels almost exactly like the surface of one of those black plastic covered ring binders. So I took one I had lying around the house and cut the one cover off. Works like a dream. The only problem I found was that it slid around. All I did was cut strips of foam weather stripping and stuck some down the width of the back and the one long one along the top and bottom to keep it from bending. Now I have a very nice, rigid, non-slip mouse pad that works brilliantly for any mouse.

I like making stuff as well as the next nerd but my inborn (ingrown, inbred) laziness usually trumps that urge and leaves me more time in my Lazy-Boy watching Survivor Dubuque. I have also made a cheap but OK mouse pad. I made my way over to the nearest Dollar type store and picked up a three pack of flexible cutting boards. 12" x 15" and no sanding required. I'd like to send a photo but it's pretty much invisible.

How is there a difference from just using the table to using this mouse pad, I'm sort of confused also doesn't your hand start to hurt after a few hours? If you want a cheap mouse pad go to garage or rummage sales, I don't think I have ever seen a $25 mouse pad, where do you shop?